Classic Fish Tacos

This taco is simple, with very few components that need cooking, and it makes a great 20-minute weeknight meal. It’s the healthiest of the three fish tacos we serve because it’s pan-cooked and not fried. If you’re a pescatarian, you’re going to love these. You could eat these every day and probably live forever.

Makes 8 tacos

1½ pounds fresh cod, cut into 3-inch pieces

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons pure olive oil

1 lime, halved

1 cup shredded red or green cabbage

¼ cup Cumin Crema (this page)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

8 6-inch corn tortillas

¼ cup Pico de Gallo (this page)

Pat the cod dry with paper towels and season it with salt and pepper. In a large pan set over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until it is just shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add the cod and cook until the pieces are lightly browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Use a spatula to transfer the cooked cod to a large plate, and then squeeze the lime halves over it.

In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the Cumin Crema, and the cilantro. Season with salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Stack the tortillas, wrap them in aluminum foil, place them in the oven, and let them warm until they’re fragrant and pliable, about 15 minutes.

Remove the tortillas from the oven. Unwrap the stack and line up the tortillas, assembly-line-style, on your work surface. Place a dollop of the slaw mixture on each tortilla. Top it with the fish and Pico de Gallo, and serve.

From Dusk to Dawn

in Trejo’s Tacos

Throughout Los Angeles, from LAX to Pasadena, seven days a week, the cooks, bakers, bartenders, and bussers of Trejo’s restaurants are cranking. Here’s a snapshot of what goes on in an average day.

3:30 am: The bakers show up at Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts in Hollywood and begin to proof the 4 batches of dough that get made into the 1,000 donuts they sell daily.

5:00 am: Counter staff and cooks arrive at the LAX location. They fry tater tots and roll up breakfast burritos before the morning rush—they’ll blow through 100 burritos by noon.

6:00 am: Local tortilla factory La Princesita drops off its daily delivery of fresh corn and flour tortillas.

6:30 am: City Bean on La Brea drops off its freshly roasted custom blend of coffee beans at each location.

9:00 am: Cooks at all the locations, from La Brea to Pasadena, start prepping for the day. They grill ears of corn, braise the jackfruit, chop and mix gallons of Pico de Gallo, Salsa Verde, and Salsa Roja, and sear off the carne asada. The team goes through 9,000 pounds of flap meat a month.

10:00 am: A group of customers at the LAX location order breakfast burritos and a round of shots and beers.

11:00 am: The commissary kitchen in Silver Lake bakes off 800 mini donuts for a wedding.

12:30 pm: Danny sings “Happy Birthday” to a group of women at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills. He greets guests and fans, signs T-shirts and hats, and poses for selfies with everyone.

3:00 pm: After the lunch rush, the manager and bar manager of the Hollywood Cantina inventory the 100 tequilas and mezcals to see what needs to be reordered.

4:00 pm: The back of house sit down to a family meal of enchiladas while the floor staff review the manager’s specials and what they’re pushing that night.

5:30 pm: It’s happy hour. A group of friends orders a round of margaritas and street tacos.

7:30 pm: The pre-theater dinner rush peaks in Pasadena as diners hurry to finish their meals before 8 o’clock curtain call.

9:30 pm: The final flight from Vegas lands at LAX and a group of passengers order the last burritos of the day.

11:00 pm: The valet folds up the red umbrella outside the La Brea location.

MIDNIGHT: The night crew at the La Brea location loads the Legos in the dishwasher so kids can play with clean ones the next day.